yard

noun (1)

\ ˈyärd

Definition of yard

(Entry 1 of 4)

1a : a small usually walled and often paved area open to the sky and adjacent to a building : court

b : the grounds of a building or group of buildings

2 : the grounds immediately surrounding a house that are usually covered with grass

3a : an enclosure for livestock (such as poultry)

b(1) : an area with its buildings and facilities set aside for a particular business or activity

(2) : an assembly or storage area (as for dry-docked boats)

c : a system of tracks for storage and maintenance of cars and making up trains

4 : a locality in a forest where deer herd in winter

yard

adjective

Definition of yard (Entry 2 of 4)

1 : of, relating to, or employed in the yard surrounding a building yard light

2 : of, relating to, or employed in a railroad yard a yard engine

yard

verb

yarded; yarding; yards

Definition of yard (Entry 3 of 4)

transitive verb

1 : to drive into or confine in a restricted area : herd, pen

2 : to deliver to or store in a yard

intransitive verb

: to congregate in or as if in a yard

yard

noun (2)

Definition of yard (Entry 4 of 4)

1 : any of various units of measure: such as

a : a unit of length equal in the U.S. to 0.9144 meter — see Weights and Measures Table

b : a unit of volume equal to a cubic yard

2a : a great length or quantity remembered yards of facts and figures

b slang : one hundred dollars

3 : a long spar tapered toward the ends to support and spread the head of a square sail, lateen, or lugsail

4 : a slender glass about three feet tall having a flared opening and a bulbous bottom also : the amount it contains a yard of ale

the whole nine yards

: all of a related set of circumstances, conditions, or details who could learn the most about making records, about electronics and engineering, the whole nine yards— Stephen Stills —sometimes used adverbially with go to indicate an all-out effort

First Known Use of yard

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1758, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for yard

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English geard enclosure, yard; akin to Old High German gart enclosure, Latin hortus garden

Noun (2)

Middle English yerd, yerde "stick, pole, rod, spar supporting a sail, unit of measure," going back to Old English gierd "stick, rod," going back to Germanic *gazdjō (whence Old Frisian ierde "stick," Old Saxon gerdia, Old High German gerta), derivative of *gazda- "stick, rod" (whence Old High German gart "stick," Old Norse gaddr "goad, spike," Gothic gazds "sting"), going back to dialectal Indo-European *ghazdh- "stick, something pointed" (whence Latin hasta "spear," Middle Irish gat "withe, osier," probably also gas "shoot, twig"), probably a loanword from an unknown source